CANADA: REQUEST FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES FOR

S E C R E T OTTAWA 003460 SIPDIS STATE FOR PM/RSAT, PM/PMAT, AND EUR E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2009 TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL CA SUBJECT: CANADA: REQUEST FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES FOR OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM REF: SECSTATE 270926 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Brian Flora, reasons 1.4 (b ) (d) (S) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Wendy Gilmour, Deputy Director in the Regional Security and Peacekeeping Division of Foreign Affairs Canada. Gilmour said that they were expecting the demarche and were leaning in the "favorable" direction in terms of helping. There were several caveats, however, that she wanted us to be aware of up front. First, Canada does not blend SOF and CIMIC missions, it is doctrinally opposed to doing so and its forces are simply not configured to do CIMIC missions while waiting for direct action the way U.S. Special Forces are. So a unit deployed to fulfill this request would not be able to do the soft tasks that we suggest, they would be trigger pullers only and would be deployed to pull triggers. Second, Canada would need to look closely at the required support structure for the force. She assumed it would be based in Bagram Air Base where the majority of SOF forces are. This would require a logistical support structure to sustain the new force and the GOC would need to look closely at cost and requirements. Third, while the force is ready to go and would prefer this mission to other options (e.g. ISAF),its main priority is currently to pave the way for the introduction of a Canadian PRT in Khandahar. This would have priority over any new missions and Canada would need to ensure it would have adequate forces to do both. Gilmour promised to get back to us and asked if the same demarche would be made in military channels. Poloff answered that it would. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa DICKSON